Batman Beyond: Rise of the Ghosts
Batman Beyond: Rise of the Ghosts is the sequel to Batman Beyond: Digiverse and is the third special in the Batman Beyond TV series. The story follows Terry McGuiness/Batman II facing a new enemy, Shadow, a ressurected ghost who plans to curse Neo-Gotham City by finding The Spectre’s Jewel. Meanwhile, Terry is suffering from a disease that is slowly killing him and has begun a romance with Melanie Walker, the former Ten of the Royal Flush Gang, after a fight with Dana Tan. It was released 25th March 2017. Plot In Neo-Gotham City in 2055, a night guard at the Museum of Ancient Relics is distracted from his night watch when a mechanized statue starts operating without the activation of its control panel. After trying to ask if someone was there, an unseen entity attacks the guard. Terry McGuiness finds it hard balancing his life and his new responsibilities as the new Batman. Due to the effects of the Digiverse, Terry has developed a techno-based disease that strains his physique. Because of this Bruce Wayne creates a new Batsuit that allows him to continue fighting crime. After having a fight with Dana Tan over his job, she promptly ends their relationship. Sad at this, Terry seeks consolation from Melanie Walker, now reformed after the death of the latest incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang. Whilst checking out another case involving Spellbinder, Terry and Bruce get a phone call from Barbara Gorden concerning the incident involving the night guard. Terry is sent, as Batman, to the museum where he learns from Barbara that the guard has been traumatized by something. The guard leads Batman into another room, where he states that he’d been knocked out and an artifact had been stolen: The Allied Chestplate of Chang, which has the power to summon allies should the wielder need them. The guard states that it can summon anyone, even Ghosts. After Batman asks how he knew this, the guard attacks Terry revealing that he stole the chestplate. Although Batman is able to beat the guard without much trouble, an entity flies out of his body. The entity reveals itself as Shadow, a male ghost who infiltrated the museum and took the chestplate. Batman and Shadow briefly struggle until the ghost escapes through a ventilation duct. The guard, now free of Shadow’s possession, tells Batman that while possessed, he saw Shadow’s thoughts. He reveals that he saw a cursed city. Terry finds a residue on a statue and takes a sample. Terry arrives back at the Batcave, telling Bruce about the ghost and giving him the sample. Although Bruce has seen people return from the dead before (Superman), he says that he’s never seen an actual ghost before. Considering what the guard had said and what Shadow claims himself to be, Bruce sends Terry to meet with Dr. Matt Thompson, a scientist who studies paranormal activity and knows Bruce’s secret. When meeting Dr. Thompson, Terry gives him a sample of the residue for the doctor to study. However, while looking at the residue, Terry suffers a physical stress attack that causes him to seek medical attention. After a diagnosis , the doctors reveal to Terry’s Mom, his sister Ash and Bruce that Terry’s disease is poisoning his vascular system and unfortunately there is no cure. They estimate that the disease will kill Terry in at least 2 months. Max Gibson, Terry’s trusted ally and friend, learns this too. After going trough small surgery, Terry decides to spend more time with Melanie. After going on a date, the two embrace and eventually kiss. Terry tells Bruce that he’s having an affair with Melanie and decides that since he’s going to die, he might as well stop being Batman and enjoy the time he has left. Bruce understands this and allows Terry to leave the Batcave. Terry and Melanie form a relationship. Meanwhile, Shadow uses the Allied Chestplate to summon more ghosts into Neo-Gotham. The people of Neo-Gotham become scared by the sightings of ghosts rampaging trough the city. Terry, however, does nothing to prevent these attacks, stating to Barbara Gorden that he’s done being Batman. However, after Dr. Thompson gives him a call about the ghost residue, Terry goes to the lab. Thompson reveals that the residue is similar to that one found on a meteorite that landed on Arkham Island 1 month ago. Terry recalls to him his battle with Sorceress when she created the Dimension Machine. Thompson theorises that the ghosts come from another dimension. Terry and Thompson devise a plan to capture a ghost by trapping it in a Quantum Field Generator. Their plan succeeds and they capture the ghost, Soul Stealer. Terry and Thompson interrogate Soul Stealer for information on Shadow’s plan. After immense persuasion, the ghost reveals that Shadow is after The Spectre’s Jewel, a gem that can transform natural matter into ‘ghost matter’. Terry also questions Soul Stealer as to where they are from, to which the ghost reveals that they come from the ‘Cursed Realm’, a dimension populated by cursed ghosts, proving Thompson’s theory correct. Upon hearing this, Terry decides to quit his normal time and focus on stopping Shadow and the ghosts. Terry returns to Bruce, who welcomes him back into the Batman’s world. Terry shows Bruce his findings and Bruce summises that the gem is located in the Pacific Ocean. Terry heads to the location and discovers its protections: a test of skill, a test of strength and a test of knowlegde. Terry gets past the tests and finds the gem. However, Shadow is already there and steals the gem off of Terry. Terry asks Shadow why he’s doing this, to which he replies “for revenge”. Terry and Shadow fight in the caves, but Shadow gains the upper hand when another physical stress attack occurs. After Shadow and his minions exit the cave, Bruce arrives in a hovercraft to pick up Terry. Upon returning to the Batcave, Terry and Bruce discover that there is normal human DNA in the residue and using a DNA trace, they learn who Shadow really is: a ghost originally known as Ezra Hammond. Terry and Bruce learn that Ezra was once a 19 year-old boy, who was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Having a troubled experience in jail, Ezra attempted to escape but died in the process. They assume that he wants to use the gem to extract revenge on Neo-Gotham. Bruce sends Terry to the centre of the city, where Shadow and his minions are attacking. Terry discovers the jewel has been attached to a new piece of long range data technology (LRD) which he plans to use to turn Neo-Gotham into a ”ghost city”. Terry and Shadow struggle again but Terry is defeated and Shadow possesses him. However, Terry manages to fight the ghost out of his body and in doing so, clears his disease. Terry, now at his full strength, battles Shadow and in the process, destroys the jewel and opens a dimensional rift. The ghosts, including Shadow, are pulled into the rift and are sent back to the Cursed Realm. Terry goes back to Bruce, stating that he feels better now. He then goes back to Melanie and the two kiss again and he reveals to her that he is Batman. She promises to keep his secret and the two embrace. In a post credits-scene, Dr. Thompson while working in his lab is interrupted by a loud noise. He turns around and sees a Parademon. Cast Andrew Garfield as Terry McGuiness/Batman II. A teenager who balaces his life between his career at school and his life as Batman. Terry develops a life-threatening disease which strains his physique in this special. He is the main protagonist in the special. Harrison Ford as Bruce Wayne. The first Batman who is suffering from old age. He now helps Terry in his adventures as the new Batman. Daniel Radcliffe as Ezra Hammond/Shadow. Once a teenager who‘d died while escaping prison, Shadow is a cursed ghost who wants to use The Spectre’s Jewel to turn Neo-Gotham into a ghost city.